People who serve youth.

BY ADAM MCCARLSON

If you could take a peek behind the curtain of AFLC Youth Ministries, you would see people. A lot of them. I’m not talking about the individuals who attend some of our events, like FLY Beyond, Youth Workers Weekends, or the FLY Convention. Rather, I’m thinking of those folks who sit on planning teams, volunteer at our events, or who contribute in other ways. I want to highlight two groups of people.

First are the teams or committees that help us plan our events. The FLY Convention, Youth Workers Weekends, and FLY Beyond each have their own group of individuals who meet every four to six weeks to plan their respective event. For FLY Beyond and Youth Workers Weekends, the Youth Ministries staff invites others from across the AFLC to sit on the respective planning team. They help us plan and organize our events in a way that represents the unity of the AFLC’s teaching and the variety of our congregations’ practices.

On the other hand, the FLY Committee—with its own bylaws and constitution—is elected by the FLY Federation every two years during the FLY Convention. The individuals on the ballot are nominated by the FLY Nominating Committee. The FLY Nominating Committee is selected at the business meeting held at the FLY Convention every other summer.

At the time of publication, the FLY Beyond planning team is busy finalizing themes, dates, and location for FLY Beyond 2026; the Youth Workers Weekend planning team just finished up YWW 2025, and a new planning team is beginning the planning process for the 2026 event; and FLY is entering its final stretch before the 2025 FLY Convention this summer. Please pray for wisdom and discernment for each of these groups that are serving our AFLC congregations by planning events.

Second, I want to highlight a group of writers who are contributing to a teen devotional. AFLC Parish Education invited Youth Ministries to help with the layout and focus of the devotional and to identify and work with writers. The purpose of this devotional is to provide a resource for teens to be in the Word of God. It will be given to the teens in attendance at FLY 2025, and will be available for purchase by other teens, leaders, and caring adults. We have invited more than 30 pastors, youth workers, parents, and young adults from across the AFLC to submit a devotional entry for this resource. It has been a joy to see folks from around the AFLC with a heart to disciple and train teens in God’s Word. Please pray for the teens in the AFLC who will use this devotional resource, that the Holy Spirit would work through his Word to awaken and strengthen faith in their hearts.

AFLC Youth Ministries couldn’t do what we do without the many hands that help. There are many individual Free Lutherans who see the value of cooperating together as the body of Christ to accomplish more than they could on their own. This makes our efforts to encourage AFLC congregations to win, build, equip, and multiply teens in Christ Jesus possible. Consider how you can play a part to pass on the faith to teens, whether that be through prayer or financial gifts on behalf of AFLC Youth Ministries, through serving alongside the many volunteers currently supporting our efforts, or by directly caring for the spiritual lives of teens in your own congregation and community.

McCarlson is the director of AFLC Youth Ministries.